2015 Iranian Film Festival: a season of classic and contemporary films from Iran, including a number of Scottish premieres, shown as part of the Edinburgh Iranian Festival. Today: The Desert Fish (12A): a young boy wants to unravel the mystery of his dead mother, who comes to him in dreams. He undertakes an incredible journey to find out where he came from and the secrets his father never told him. The screening will be followed by a Q & A session with the director, arts director and editor. There will also be a drinks reception and live music from Edinburgh Youth Gaitherin at the Traverse Theatre Bar, Cambridge Street, 8.30-9.30pm (after the film). 6.10pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets can be booked online here or by calling the box office on 0131 228 2688. Prices vary: there are deals for purchasing multiple tickets for this season. The 2015 Iranian Film Festival is curated by Dr Nacim Pak-Shiraz and sponsored by The Sutton Gallery, Arts & Business Scotland, Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies of the University of Edinburgh, and the Filmhouse.
Portrait Detectives: Collect your kit, follow clues and solve a mystery from history! For ages 4-12 years. 2-4pm (drop-in), Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free and unticketed. Supported by the Friends of the National Galleries of Scotland.
Edinburgh Iranian Festival: Persian Calligraphy. Meet painter and printmaker Jila Peacock whose work, based on the elegant and dynamic forms of Persian calligraphy, creates a beautiful fusion of art and language. Listen to Jila talk about her work and create your own calligraphic art. 2-3pm, Nomad’s Tent, 21 St Leonard’s Place. Free admission.
Darkness Visible: a series of feature films selected to accompany Christopher Orr’s exhibition The Beguiled Eye at the University of Edinburgh’s Talbot Rice Gallery. Each film reflects different elements in Orr’s work, from the enchantment and terror of the Ozark mountains in Winter’s Bone to the barren, ominous desolation of Tarkovsky’s ‘Zone’ in Stalker, and the unearthly mystery and sense of adventure in Super 8. Each film will be introduced by an assistant curator from Talbot Rice. Today: Stalker (PG). 2.45pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets can be booked online or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688: prices vary. Series concludes on Monday 9th February 2015. Read The Edinburgh Reporter’s review of The Beguiled Eye here.
Filmhouse Junior: The Wind Rises (PG). A decades-spanning epic from master filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. Jiro dreams of flying and designing aeroplanes; he studies hard and joins a Japanese engineering company in 1927. His bright intelligence and dedication will lead him to create the Zero fighter, a bomber put into service just as Japan is contemplating war with the US. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4 per person, big or small, and can be booked online or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688
Blackwell’s Edinburgh Teenage Book Group: if you love to read or just want to read more, join the group to talk about the latest teenage fiction and your favourite books. The group reads anything from classics to contemporary and historical to dystopian, and is currently reading Alex Bell’s Frozen Charlotte. 2-3pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. To join (it’s free!) just email your details to schools.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk.
Edinburgh Iranian Festival: Fashion Sale. A second chance to see the pieces displayed at the Persian Chic Fashion Show at the National Museum of Scotland on Saturday, with an opportunity to purchase. 10am-5pm, Nomad’s Tent, 21 St Leonard’s Place.
Edinburgh Iranian Festival: Beyond the Chador – Iranian Dress for Women. Dr Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood talks about Iran’s centuries-old production of intriguing textiles and beautiful garments, especially for women, and how urban and regional dress have responded to each other over time. 11am-12 noon, Nomad’s Tent, 21 St Leonard’s Place.
Drawing From Nature: design and print greetings cards with a springtime theme, using handmade paper and plant-based inks. For all ages. 1-4pm, Real Life Science Studio, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Free: no booking required.
Heriot Watt University Anniversary Service: a Town and Gown event to celebrate the 49th anniversary of the granting of the university’s charter. Excelsior Per Cantum, the university’s chamber choir, will perform at the service. 10am, Currie Kirk, 156 Lanark Road West.
Edinburgh Iranian Festival: Iran and Tourism. If you have ever wondered about travelling to Iran, this is your opportunity to learn about the country’s history and cultural heritage from the experts, and to find out more about where to go and how to get there. Dr Laurent Galbrun (Heriot Watt University) will give an insight into the people, culture, art and architecture of Iran from a European perspective, illustrated by his photographs of the architectural gems of Esfahan, Shiraz, Kashan Qazvin, Qom and Tehran. Dr Masood Khodadadi (University of West Scotland) specialises in cultural tourism, tourism marketing, destination branding and destination image formation process; his recent research has focused on how institutional/popular discourses of Iran/Persia are constructed and perceived in Britain. Warwick Ball has 20 years of experience in operating tours to Iran and over 40 years of personal travel in the country as an archaeologist and historian; he will take the audience through an amazing journey. UK-based tour operators Persian Voyage will also attend to provide visa and travel advice. 3.30-5pm, Nomad’s Tent, 21 St Leonard’s Place. Free admission.
St Giles’ At Six: Edinburgh Napier University Composers Concert with The Edinburgh Quartet. New compositions for string quartet by student composers Jason Sweeney, David Paton, Linyi Tam, Jonathan Grant, Ian Sutherland, Robin McLeish and Alexander Vella Gregory. 6pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free: retiring collection.
